The International Spy Museum has selected MDB Communications as Agency of Record.  The DC-based museum is the largest permanent collection of international spy-related artifacts on public display, and is the only public museum in the United States solely dedicated to espionage and the only one in the world to provide a global perspective on this profession.

Some interesting developments as CBS Radio prepares to launch its new all-news radio station in DC.  According to dcrtv.com, WTOP has added two people to its freelance pool

WPP announced that it has agreed to acquire The Glover Park Group (GPG), a DC-based strategic communications and government relations firm.

Founded in 2001, and employing more than 140 people, GPG - which is headquartered in DC, and has offices in New York, Los Angeles and Boulder, CO, - offers its clients a suite of services including public affairs, media relations, government affairs, opinion research, crisis communications, digital strategy, corporate reputation, advertising and brand positioning.

LM&O Advertising has created a new recruitment ad campaign for the U.S. Coast Guard that taps GPS coordinates and passionate young recruits to attract motivated millennials with an aptitude for science, technology, engineering or math.The national television, radio, print and online ads are the Coast Guard’s first campaign from LM&O,
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The call letters of the new CBS Radio all-news station in DC will be WNEW-FM, states radio-info.com  According to the report, CBS Radio will take the call letters from its urban AC station in West Palm Beach, FL, and move them north to the DC market, when the CBS all-news format debuts on 99.1 early next year.  

Ramsey Poston, who led the communications efforts at NASCAR since 2004, opened a strategic communications firm, Tuckahoe Strategies, in Denton, MD ... Linda Wharton Boyd, DC Mayor Vincent Gray’s chief spokeswoman, has been replaced by Pedro Ribiero ... Pat Cleary left Fleishman Hillard's DC Read More »

According to www.dcrtv.com, CBS Radio has placed the following ad in several radio trade publications: "We are proud to have launched an all-news station in the Nation's Capital. It's very rare to have the opportunity to be on the ground floor of one of CBS Radio's most prestigious formats - all-news - especially in an election year. CBS is in the business of news, and now you can be a part of history in Washington DC.”

The Public Relations Society of America has launched a collaborative, industry-wide initiative to modernize the definition of public relations.  The “Public Relations Defined” initiative is hosted at a new PRSA website, PRDefinition.PRSA.org. From Nov. 21–Dec. 2, 2011, PRSA will curate commentary and insight from PR professionals around the world to develop a new global definition of public relations.

Join Ketchum PR’s search/social expert Katherine Watier and Search-Mojo president Janet Driscoll-Miller on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 2 p.m. for their “Search and Social” webinar titled “Search+Social Integrated - Best Practices for Applying These Two Powerful Strategies Today.”

Ketchum celebrated the launch of "Health Industry Communication: New Media, New Methods, New Message" written by Ketchum's Nancy Hicks and Christina Nicols - left and center in photo with Nick Ragone, director of Ketchum's DC office

Tahzoo announced the relocation of the agency's area office from Bethesda to the Dupont Circle area. According to a release, “The move is marked by ambitious growth plans: Tahzoo is projected to hire approximately 20 professionals in the DC Metro area over the next 12 months. The new positions at the agency will focus on digital marketing strategy, client services, and performance marketing.”

After much speculation, CBS RADIO announced today it will be launching an all-news radio station in January 2012 on 99.1 FM to reach listeners in the metropolitan area. The move to challenge top-rated WTOP-FM comes as a result of an agreement to acquire 107.9 FM from Family Stations, Inc., which will serve as the home for “El Zol,” CBS RADIO’s Spanish-language station. Terms of the transaction, subject to customary conditions, including regulatory and other approvals, are not being disclosed

Click on Photo for slide show by Nick Whitmoyer

The second annual DCWEEK, co-produced by iStrategylabs and Tech Cocktail, was a huge success, according to many that attended, including Capitol Communicator. The large team of entrepreneurs, designers, developers and artists was led by Peter Corbett of iStrategylabs, and Frank Gruber and Jen Consalvo of Tech Cocktail. Thousands parti Read More »

Marketing strategist Geoff Livingston reports that last week he had “the privilege to serve as General Manager of Give to the Max Day: Greater Washington, an online fundraising event that raised $2 million for 1,200 local nonprofits from almost 18,000 donors. It was a mark of triumph for social media, demonstrating that it can be a powerful communication tool set to achieve actual ROI."

SmithGifford has launched a new TV campaign for Washington Gas, promoting the “human” element of the work they do. Of particular significance is this being the first television advertising done by Washington Gas in 20 years

Heathere Evans-Keenan, APR, president of Keenan, PR, Inc., was named the 2011 Washington PR Woman of the Year by Washington Women in Public Relations (WWPR) at WWPR’s signature award luncheon on Nov. 15. WWPR annually hosts the event to honor public relations professionals in the D.C. area who exemplify true integrity and leadership characteristics.

By O'Keyla Smith, MDB Communications

Capitol Communicator and MDB Communications hosted a luncheon session Tuesday, Nov. 15, titled “How to Sell Social Media to Your Boss” with guest presenter Shashi Bellamkonda, Network Solutions’ Social Media Swami.
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By Debbie Friez, BurrellesLuce  

“I don’t know what Facebook is going to look like a week from now, because Read More »

Former Penn State coach Joe Paterno has hired a crisis PR specialist, McGinn & Company, reports O’Dwyer’s PR newsletter. According to the company’s website, the Arlington, VA-based firm normally represents "Fortune 500 companies, leading educational institutions, law firms and non-profits."

The District would have to front millions in taxpayer dollars -- including help financing a soundstage -- to outbid Maryland and Virginia and woo more Hollywood productions to the city, filmmakers and producers told a D.C. Council committee Wednesday, reported the Washington Examiner

As noted in other posts, a website is one of an organization’s most visible and important properties. Yet, according to the story appearing in newspapers in Canada, one organization let its domain name lapse with real consequences. According to the press report:  A website that promoted Canada's 100th anniversary of flight is now advertising U.S. and Turkish prostitutes after a group of federal government departments and industry associations let its ownership of the domain name lapse.

Susan Davis International reports a new client and two client renewals ... Tom Super joined the National Chicken Council as VP/communications ... David Ryan has taken a sales and marketing position with Chesapeake Systems in Baltimore.

Millennial Media announced its expansion into the Asia-Pacific region and Robert Woolfrey has joined the Baltimore-based company to lead its operations in Southeast Asia, including establishing a presence and aggressively hiring. 

“Millennial Media is the leading independent mobile advertising platform in the United States and Europe; and will now bring that same premium strategy to Southeast Asia.” said Woolfrey, managing director, Southeast Asia. Millennial currently has numerous openings

Washington D.C.'s Design Army is featured in the latest installment of the Design Matters podcast series, hosted by Debbie Millman for Design Observer. In the interview, studio co-founders Jake and Pum Lefebure discussed how they met, work vs. family life, starting out on their own, keeping their firm small and the importance of sketching. "If the sketch is looking good as a sketch," said Jake, "Execution is going to look good as well."

SmithGifford has launched two new campaigns for Middleburg Bank, promoting the appeal of a local bank over traditional large institutions to commercial and retail customers. “Working with a local bank like Middleburg, it is paramount that we communicate the breadth of services that is on par with the ‘big guys’ but stress the appeal of working with someone in your neighborhood, with a vested interest in your neighborhood that keeps the money they lend in your neighborhood,” said Karen Riordan,

Former White House deputy communications director Jen Psaki will be this year's keynote speaker for Washington Women in Public Relations'  22nd annual Washington PR Woman of the Year Award Luncheon, set for Nov. 15 at the Capital Hilton hotel in DC.

Maryland’s economic development agency is looking for a communications firm to tout four programs designed to help Maryland’s businesses and entrepreneurs, reports the Baltimore Business Journal.  According to the BBJ story, the state’s Department of Business and Economic Development wants to educate, through radio ads,